|
Rocky Mountain
2001 Blizzard
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Submitted by
Gazza Due
a
from Nelson, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | can't decide - definately technical singletrack. | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bridge St Cycles | | Strengths: | Good angles, short top tube, sexy graphics, good quality paint job, the ride of steel, Canadian craftsmanship. | | Weaknesses: | no rear disc mount (yet). | | Similar Products Used: | Not much similar in NZ. Maybe the odd old Kona. Used to have a True Temper KHS but it was too long for me. | | Bike Setup: | Reynolds 725 frame with red lettering, Marzocchi MXC (4"-blk), RF 100mm stem(sil), Kona 1.5" riser bar, XT thumbie fr shifter, STX rr shifter, XT rr lever with XTR V-brake, 525 disc on the front, WTB headset (red), Hope XC fr hub (red), F219 fr rim, F519 rr rim, Ringle' rr hub (red), Hope wheel skewers (blk), Salsa flip off seatpost binder(blk), RF XY seatpost, Selle Itallia Octavio seat, XT fr der, old LX rr der, Salsa rr brake booster, IRC Trail Bear K 2.35" tires, RF turbine LP cranks (wht), RF rings.
She's a real bitsa, but I got everthing pretty cheap and it all works well together. | | Bottom Line: | Wow! This is one sexy bike. It loves single-track. The more technical the better. Putting a 4" fork on it slackened up the angles just enough to make it a bit easier to through around. It's really stable at speed and still excells in the twisty bits. The comfort of the ride is deceptive. I feel better after a ride than I ever did on my old Marin fully.
The disc/V set up works well with the rear booster. I didn't realise how much post flex there was until I put that on.
I'm still running 8 speed 'cos I'm a bit of a retro-lovin' fool. I'll be putting a RF ti BB in it this week and eventually an XTR rr mech and some XT shifters while 8 speed is still available.
Steel rules. I love this bike. Thanks Rocky Mountain. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a
from St.Paul, Minnesota, USA
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The river bottoms | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | Now Bikes and Fitness | | Strengths: | That Frame, 853 Renyolds rocks!Climbs like a Mt. Goat. Rails like a Indy car.Fit and Finish(welds and paint) | | Weaknesses: | No disc brake mount on a high end bike??? what's with the goofy rear deraler cable routing?? Itsy bitsy flipping stem (100mm)They must grow em with short arms up there in Canada. | | Similar Products Used: | 90 Rockhopper comp ridgid.
96 specialized stump, XT/XTR,Rino lite, 98 Manitou SX-R, ATAC, USE post. | | Bike Setup: | Stock execpt, Mavic crossroc UST rims,Hutchinson Python tires, Time ATAC pedals, USE Seat post, Selle saddle, 140mm stem. | | Bottom Line: | At 6'0 foot 220lbs I just could not be talked into Alumm. I raced the Stump for 5 years. Finally after much cussing and lots of new parts the wife said enough already! go buy a new bike. I started looking around and very few companys sell steel these days. I was alittle tenitive about the Blizzard at first. It felt way differn't then the Stump, I felt all bunched up.I changed the stem and seat post that helped. After 3/4's of a race session I love it. It's not as stabble as the stump on the fast down hills, but out performs it in every other area. Great bike for the price. Nothing feels like steel.Goes up like nothing Ive ever seen. The standard grips about the UST out of true, hard to change flats, limited tire selection. WHO SHOULD BUY IT? Anyone who is looking for a steel bike that doesn't want to spend a ton.This one is a keeper, unless I get a deal on one with disc brakes. 4 chilis for value I had to swap a few parts to get it to fit right. 4 Chilis for Overall, Disc brake Mount? | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin Budd
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Singletrack deep in the forest. | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bike Shop, Calgary | | Strengths: | - Reynolds 853 steel - very very very nice!
- Fantastic feel.
- Really good geometry.
- Frame detailing excellent throughout. (checkout the dropouts!)
- Successfully combines performance with comfort and durability.
- Gorgeous, thick paintwork and maple leaf graphics.
- Rocky Mountain quality. | | Weaknesses: | - It doesn't wear out, so no excuse for buying a newer model!
- It's so gorgeous, I keep secretly thinking about buying another one. | | Similar Products Used: | Owned:
- 1990 Shogun Prairie Breaker Pro (Tange double butted CrMo)
- 1992 Rocky Mountain Blizzard (Tange Prestige Concept CrMo)
- 1994 Rocky Mountain Blizzard (Tange Ultimate Ultralite CrMo)
- 1996 Rivendell All-Rounder (Reynolds 753 steel)
- 1997 Specialized M2 Pro (Metal Matrix Composite)
- 2001 KHS Team (True Temper OXII Ultra)
Also Tried: Cannondale F900, Norco Rampage, Rocky Mountain Hammer, KHS Softail, Kona Cinder Cone, Kona Scab, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Giant NRS, Kona Stinky Dee Luxe, Santa Cruz Bullit. | | Bike Setup: | XT/LX/Race Face/Ritchey, Marzocchi Z3 coil/oil 100mm/4" travel, Sun Rhyno-Lite rims, 2.3" tires, Suntour XC-Pro Greaseguard.
| | Bottom Line: | I agree with the previous reviewer: this is a fantastic bike! This is my third Blizzard. The first I got in early 1992 and, despite a run of other bikes since then (see above), that '92 Blizzard was still my favourite ride until just last year when I bought the 2001 Blizzard. There is a "rightness" that comes with buying the same frame again 9 years later. (I'll also point out that I'm building that '92 frame back up again into a "thrash" bike - I just can't resist that beautiful frame!)
Also in agreement with the previous reviewer, I too suggest buying it as a frame only (which I did) and building it up how you want. (Taking that beautiful maple-leaf-painted black and pearl frame out of the box is an experience I'll never forget.) (Sad, isn't it?) (Consider yourself warned.)
I'm 6'3" (191cm) tall, and weigh a chunky 230lbs (105kg). I haven't broken any bikes yet, and certainly have no fear of it on the Blizzard. I ride a 21" Blizzard. The sheer size of that frame still scares me to look at it, but it rides better than ever, and its size is no drawback. Even on seriously steep rocky descents it's not a problem (except in my mind, where the frame feels a little 'close' to me). This frame loves being ridden at warp speed over rough ground, yet it's also incredibly stable and precise when slowed to a crawl.
I have my Blizzard set up for the very rough, rocky, technical trails we have around here in Sydney: beefy Marzocchi fork, wide rims, and big fat tires. I have a 2.3" Hutchinson Mini-Jumbo tire on the back, which I originally bought to protect me from the beating I was getting from the Specialized M2 I had. Well, now with the Blizzard's compliant rear end, combined with that 2.3" tire, there are times I just can't believe I'm on a hardtail. And that's with the tire pumped up hard! (Otherwise I get pinch flats.)
The compliancy and response of quality steel frames is a rare and wonderful thing. Like all frames, they can be built to be super stiff, or to be more forgiving. This one is built to perform, yet strikes a good balance for all-day comfort. I haven't experienced ANY unwanted flex. Something about the Reynolds 853 tubing: although it's light to pick up and is springy and responsive to ride, on the trail it feels 'solid'. It's a surprising feel, especially on a rocky trail. A feeling that it's absorbing or sucking up all the impacts, and not being thrown off course - that it's 'glued' to the trail. I like it. I noticed it with the Tange Ultimate Ultralite Blizzard too, and the Reynolds 853 does it even more. I like it a lot.
The Blizzard is an all-day-riding sort of bike, and still completely comfortable and controllable at the end of a long day. It's also great for road touring, loaded with panniers - I did a 6 day tour in the New Year on asphalt and dirt roads, and even at the end of a 14-hour day (which had started with 3 hours of uphill) the Blizzard still felt great, and handled easily.
I could go on about steel, but since I've had 6 steel bikes and only one Aluminium (MMC) bike, you probably guess I have NO doubts about riding steel frames. Trust me - if you haven't properly tried a good steel frame, then you just don't know (we're talking hardtails here). I don't mind if you insist your aluminium frame is superior, but let's see who's still grinning after 3 hours of technical trail riding....
The Rocky Mountain Blizzard ain't cheap, but that's because you're getting STEEL, and it's the best steel you can get. (Not to mention Rocky Mountain quality.) Notice you only get steel frames on the really expensive bikes now? If you're purturbed by the cost of the Blizzard (US$1880), then get its slightly younger brother, the Rocky Mountain Hammer (US$1280). With a Reynolds 725 frame and identical geometry to the Blizzard, it's actually the very same bike they called the Blizzard back in 2000. The Blizzard frame on its own is CAD$695, which really is an incredible bargain, especially if you earn US dollars.
What a rave. Do I work for Rocky Mountain? I wish!! You'll rave like this too after you've ridden Blizzards for 10 years.
The handling of this bike is absolutely fantastic, and it rides even better than any previous bike I've had, or tried. If you want to win a three-hour race, then maybe this bike isn't for you, but if you want to enjoy a three hour RIDE, or six hour, or 24 hour, or ride day after day, year after year, you will NEVER regret buying this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Chatham, Ontario
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Fanshawe Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Smith Cycle, Chatham, Ontario | | Strengths: | Reynolds 853 tubing; the real feel of STEEL.
Great looks.
Purchased as FRAME ONLY | | Weaknesses: | Component grouping; purchased frame only. | | Similar Products Used: | Fisher Tassajara | | Bike Setup: | Race face, Syncros, XTR, Superfly;
22 LBS | | Bottom Line: | Very quick and agile on the single track. I have 3 other Blizzards from past years and all are a pleasure to grind through the singletrack. This year (2001) the paint (pearl white/black) and metal (853) are perfect.
Recommend buying as frame and building to your own taste and standards. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Fullerton, California
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Any long and winding singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | decline to state... | | Strengths: | The OX plat tubing gives just the right balance of flex and stiffness, I love the classic lines, and the pearl white paint glitters like an abalone shell! | | Weaknesses: | Nothing with the bike - oh, okay, don't care for the Mavics and the grips, both of which are easily switched | | Similar Products Used: | Aluminum hardtails - Trek 6700, KHS Alite 3K - and after getting this bike, I won't buy another bike unless it's steel | | Bike Setup: | Stock except Thomson stem, Chris King headset, Salsa seatpost, Selle Italia Ti seat, Salsa carbon brake booster - looking at WTB LaserBeam wheelset in the very near future | | Bottom Line: | This bike is nothing short of wonderful, uphill or down. Unless you weigh less than 150, the extra grams are not noticeable. And when I'm not riding it (oh, the horror!), I can sit and stare at it for hours - classic lines, irridescent pearl white paint job, and beautiful maple leaf details on the seat and frame. A thing of beauty is a joy forever!
Five sizzling habaneros for a work of functional art!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin TX
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Rocky Hill | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Firehouse Custom Bikes | | Strengths: | The RIDE. Good lateral stiffness. Not flexy.
The paint job. | | Weaknesses: | Not the lightest steel hardtail. Some of the decals flake off too easily. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Hot, various Specialized and Trek hardtails and softtails. | | Bike Setup: | I bought this as a frame only. I finally broke the old Hot frame and moved my parts over. Mostly xt, lx cranks, xtr cassette, King headset, Thomson post and stem, Crosslink wheels, Titec Beserker saddle. | | Bottom Line: | Frame review only.
I got a very good price through Firehouse. The 2001 Blizzard was supposed to be built with Reynolds 853 tubing but RM ran out and couldn't get anymore. So, my frame is all True Temper OX Platinum. Which is what I believe all the 2002 Blizzards will be built with.
If you like the cush of a steel hardtail but hate the flexiness. Check this frame out
No way will I ride a aluminum hardtail on central TX trails, just too rocky. I didn't have the $ for a nice light fs frame . The combination of compliance and lateral stiffness is terrific. The bike holds a line very well. The performance advantage more than makes up for any concern about the weight of the frame(around 5lbs for the 21").
I raced it for the first time at Kerrville and had my all time best finish. I didn't have to fight the bike and it transfered the pedal power right to the wheel. I felt like I was moving faster with less effort compared to other bikes I've raced. I just can't imagine a better steel hardtail. The maple leaf paint job also looks great. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ole Jastrau
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Durable, great value, excellent components, great looks and beautiful paint. | | Weaknesses: | I'm not so happy with the riser bar (too high and too wide) and grips. The bar is a matter of preference, though.
Too many decals on the frame and wheels.
The rings are not Race Face race rings, but their lower end models. While we're dreaming, a pair of red ano Turbine LPs WOULD have been nice. | | Similar Products Used: | various Trek, Fisher and Kona | | Bike Setup: | Stock 2001, except I swapped the pedals for ATAC. My bike came with an XY seatpost, not Prodigy, which is nice. | | Bottom Line: | I really like this bike. A lot of people have complained about the saddle, but I don't mind it at all. It has a nice groove down the middle, and it's not so soft as to be mushy. The component mix is top notch, and you know that with the Marzocchi fork and Reynolds 853 frame that the bike will last forever. (I think you can replace the Marzocchi cartridges too -- putting in the 2002s with lock-out would be sweet.) I think I'll be upgrading to a flat bar and new grips soon, and ripping the "ST3 geometry" and "Wheel Tech" decals off, but aside from these trivial problems I'm very happy with the bike. It's comfortable and handles quickly.
The value is superb. I only gave it 4 chilis overall because I do think there are some upgrades that this bike could do well with. They would inevitably increase the price, though. If you want a sweet steel hardtail, I've no doubt that this is the way to go. It costs so much less than offerings from the likes of de Kerf and Independent Fabrication. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric S
a Weekend Warrior
from Oakland, CA
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Lots--Love the eastern Sierra | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | Mike's Bikes | | Strengths: | Handles like a charm, climbs like a monster, and I actually like the colors--they match my shorts and pack I wear when I commute with it. The components are more than I expected at this price. I can ride pretty hard sometimes and I am 6'1" and `195 and the Bomber Shocks take it all and keep going.
The Reynolds 853 frame is great! Not much heavier than aluminium and I just know nothing will happen to it.
A smooth, fun ride, no matter what. | | Weaknesses: | Squeaky brakes, but I got that taken care of. Gears weren't set properly, but again, this is minor. | | Similar Products Used: | I have owned two Hammers before. | | Bike Setup: | Bomber shocks, XT Deore, XTR, and RaceFace 44T | | Bottom Line: | This may be the last bike I ever own. Frame is guaranteed for life, it takes me everywhere I want to go, is a blast to ride, uphill and downhill and between the cars, and just plain feels good to ride.
For riders concerned about aluminium, this is the bike for you, as long as you aren't worried about a little, and I do mean very little, extra weight.
it handles great and the stock components are top-notch. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a Racer
from Portland, Maine, US
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anything | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Allspeed Bicycle and Ski | | Strengths: | very quick, point and go. The OX platinum isn't the 853 i was expecting but is very well built and rides like a dream. | | Weaknesses: | nothing, except the long wait for the bike | | Similar Products Used: | IFAB...that's it nothing compares | | Bike Setup: | RaceFace SYstem, XTR Cranks/Brakes, Sram Attack rapid fire shifters, Syncros ti seat post, Spinergy Spox wheels, time Atac Carbon pedals,Marzocchi Z-2 atom sport, very light bike | | Bottom Line: | This bike is sweet! Very fast, fun and confidence inspiring. I was unable to do races this season because I sent my old Rocky back (broke it because I was using a 4 inch fork on it and the head tube dimpled) and rocky was having trouble with getting tubing so i missed the first few races and then i had other things i had to do so i pretty much hung up the racing Idea this season but I still ride with the shop here and i wish i could race it this season because it would kick ass! Bike is great and it was worth the wait. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GK
a Weekend Warrior
from Foothill Ranch, CA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | El Moro | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bike Company | | Strengths: | True Temper OX Platinum steel gives a very compliant ride. Geometry is "spot-on". Beautiful paint job. Frame Price (<$500) very reasonable. | | Weaknesses: | Rocky Mountain has got to be one of the slowest delivering bike manufacturer in the universe. Took 5 months to get the frame. Nearly canceled the order and ordered a DeKerf Team SL instead. Glad I didn't. I'd still be paying for that one if I did. | | Similar Products Used: | '99 Specialized M2 Stumpjumper. My ass still hurts from that one. Had to use a shock post to keep my teeth from rattling. | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Marzocchi Z1 X-Fly, Bontrager ASYM wheels with Chris King hubs/headset, Motoraptor 2.4 front/Velociraptor rear,Pro-Taper bars, XT cranks/front derailler, XTR rear, Thomson seatpost, WTB Podium saddle, 858 pedals, Race Face stem. Fully built about 24 lbs. | | Bottom Line: | I never expected a hardtail to feel this good. I knew it would climb well but I never expected it to descend equally well. It's very calm and stable on the steep downhill stuff. I'll ride it till my butt gets sore. Then I'll go back to riding my Ellsworth Truth which I thought would never go unridden for more than a couple days. I'm glad I waited for the Blizzard although I must take one chili away because of Rocky's sucky delivery. Make sure you order yours five months before you need it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
| |
|
Photo Caption Contest
(sponsored by Maxxis)
|
Enter here
|
|
|
$ 1680.00
